Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: As part of the attempts to placate the voices of dissent against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the UPA government may re-look at one of the most contentious issues, the status of Hyderabad.
Reports claimed, Friday, that the Centre is mulling over a proposal to make Hyderabad a Union Territory for a limited period.
The issue is expected to be discussed at a special meeting of the Union Cabinet, for considering the Telangana bill, to be held today. The Congress has been pushing for the clearance of the bill and is likely to bring it to Parliament next week.
The decision for convening a Cabinet meeting on Telangana was taken after a meeting of the Group of Ministers was held yesterday. The GoM deliberated on various issues concerning bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Union ministers of Seemandhra region had urged the ministerial panel to make the city a Union Territory and divide its revenue among Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from the issue of Hyderabad, the Centre is also said to be favourably deposed to the demand that Bhadrachalam sub-division be incorporated with Seemandhra. as this is the submerged area of Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project, which will be part of the new state.
However, the proposal to declare Hyderabad a UT, even for a limited period, will not go down well with the pro-Telangana forces, most notably the TRS.
The pressure mounted on the Congress after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy staged a dharna in Jantar Mantar opposing bifurcation of the state. Reddy also met President Pranab Mukherjee. The state Assembly has already rejected the bill for the separate state.
While BJP has declared that its support to the Telangana bill was "full and final", talk in the opposition camp is that the Congress-led coalition may table it in the Rajya Sabha where it expects to ensure relatively smooth passage to make a point.
In Lok Sabha it will be very difficult to ensure the Bill`s passage with proceedings currently paralysed.
With the current session being the last of the 15th Lok Sabha, the issue of passage of the Telangana bill will be left to the next government if such a strategy is adopted.
With Andhra Pradesh sharply divided on regional lines on the Telangana issue, Parliament has been paralysed with supporters and opponents creating uproar for their respective cause. Three Lok Sabha members have also given notices of no confidence motion against Manmohan Singh government.
